The food of New England makes generous use of seafood and dairy products, whilst the Puritans used many new indigenous foods they relied on the recipes they knew to prepare with beans; turkeys and pumpkins.
Interestingly, they loved spices and often cooked with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pepper as well as dried fruit and varied sauces.
Cranberries and maple syrup are probably the two most typical ingredients and the food is rich, not overly spicy and satisfying.
It stands to reason that the food of the Indians is still incorporated into the local cuisine and fresh oysters, clam chowders and Johnny cakes are found on most menus.
Before Prohibition this region was the heart of the rum industry and some of the best rum distilleries in the US could be found here.
Here’s a list of the typical dishes that one could choose if you visited:
Connecticut’s most famous dish has to be the ‘New Haven style pizza‘, as well as the white clam pie that isn’t a pie, but a garlicky clam pizza without tomatoes.
The hamburger and ‘shad bake’ are also popular.
Maine – the lobster is legendary and lobster rolls are made with grilled mayo lobster on a hot dog roll.
The other speciality has to be the Italian sandwich which is a submarine made with ham, cheese, pickles, tomatoes and pepperoni.
Massachusetts – the specialites are clams, haddock and cranberries.
Boston – is beef country, and a hot roast beef sandwich with sweet barbecue sauce is the snack of choice.
Southern New Hampshire – will serve many French dishes with seafood topping the list and certainly apple in some form, for dessert.
Portsmouth – the orange cake with cranberries will soar to the top.
Rhode Island is clam chowder country and the cabinets (milkshakes or frappes) will drown the thirst.
Vermont – here the Cheddar cheese and maple syrup and the rhubarb pie and strawberries, are a must.
Philadelphia – the cheese steak (a long roll filled with thin slices of steak and melted cheese) and soft pretzels are both important in this city’s culture.
New York – An ideal day would consist of eggs Benedict for breakfast; a hot pastrami and rye sandwich as a snack with either a Waldorf salad or a steak Diane for lunch.
For tea time a New York bagel, and hands down- no contest – for supper, Vichyssoise, Steak Delmonico or Lobster Newburg ending with an ice cream cone.
Chicago – the deep dish pizza (a thin-crust pizza with loads of cheese) and Italian beef (an Italian roll that has been dunked in the juice of roast beef which has been thinly sliced and flavoured with oregano and herbs and topped with pepperoni) is absolutely top of the list.
Indiana – a brain sandwich (sliced calf brains on a sandwich) and sugar cream pie for dessert.
Iowa – here the pork sandwich (made with pork loin, pounded flat like a schnitzel and breaded and deep fried, popped on a seeded bread roll with mayonnaise, mustard, dill pickles and ketchup for good measure) is simply “to die for”.
Minnesota – lefse and lutefisk are probably the most typical but the hot dish (a collection of typical American stews) is the supreme comfort food.
Ohio – if there’s any room after the buckeye candy (peanut butter and chocolate sweet), it would be a good idea to go for the clambake made with chicken and clams.
Wisconsin – The fish fry is simply outstanding.
Hawaii fuses so many cuisines. Kalua pig (a pig cooked in a pit) and laulau (pork wrapped in a taro leaf before being cooked in an underground oven) are the typical delicacies.
Throwing an American – style World Cup bash? Click here to check out Food24’s American party menu!